In the upcoming NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers draft board will include both sides of the ball. Many mock drafts have had the Packers taking both sides of the ball as they have needs for an offensive playmaker and impact players on the defensive line.
History shows the Packers tend to select a defensive player with their first round selections. Since 2012, they’ve had 12 first round draft picks and have only selected one offensive player, quarterback Jordan Love. History says a defensive player, but fans would love for a playmaker such as receiver or tight end.
The Packers are at a spot right now where they can probably use a wide receiver or tight end on offense. On the defensive side, safety is a position they currently lack depth at and edge rusher and interior defensive line can be bolstered through the draft.
Both the receiver and tight end position seem to be fairly deep which may cause the Packers to look beyond round 1. Edge rushers and interior defensive line also has a solid class in its own right. It remains a question to what position they’re prioritizing this year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a top receiving prospect from Ohio State said, “They are definitely looking for a receiver,” after he met with the Packers at the scouting combine. The Packers have showed they are not scared to get a playmaker after trading up for Christian Watson last draft.
A trio of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be an amazing core for Jordan Love to work with in his first season starting. Receivers like Jordan Addison and Zay Flowers also seem like viable options. We know Packers have shied away from the offensive side in the first round though.
With the lack of depth at safety, they have been linked to safety Brian Branch who would immediately help their defense. An edge rusher like Lukas Van Ness or lineman like Myles Murphy would also be in play as Green Bay can use another edge to add to their rotation.
The Packers have conducted 22 pre-draft visits so far and have coveted many different positions. A very interesting position to keep an eye on is tight end as they’ve met with the top three tight ends: Michael Mayer, Darnell Washington and Dalton Kincaid. It should be interesting to see what they do come draft day.
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Javier Delgado is a lifelong Packers fan who is currently majoring in sports journalism at Arizona State University. He writes for PackersTalk.com and you can follow him on twitter at @javierrdelgadoo.
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